[Editor’s Note: Today’s entry marks the weekday-entry debut of bench coach Phil Hecken. Please join me in giving him a hand. I’ll rejoin you down at the Ticker. — PL]
By Phil Hecken
One of the more underappreciated and overlooked sports in the United States is field hockey. Although played by both men and women around the globe, in America it’s primarily viewed as a “girls’ sport” and a marginal one, at best. Uni Watch reader Terri King played field hockey for St. Francis University and feels it’s been underrepresented, so she’s helped me prepare this in-depth look at the sport and its gear.
A cross between ice hockey and soccer, the sport is played on a field roughly the size of a soccer pitch. It can be played on grass, but artificial turf is preferred due to its smoother consistency. A goal can only be scored from within the “circle” (called a “D” outside the States — a semi-circle around the goal that extends 16 yards). If a ball is struck outside the circle and goes into the goal without being touched by an offensive player inside the circle, it’s simply as if the ball went out of bounds. Terri explains, “This leads to a very confused crowd when the goalie purposely lets the ball in the goal, which is pretty entertaining for the players.”
Each side has 11 players, much like soccer (with roughly equivalent positions as well). Every player carries a stick, one side of which is flat, the other rounded. There are no left-handed sticks — everyone must play right-handed. The ball can only be hit with the flat side and cannot be touched or hit with any part of the body, including the hands on the stick. The ball cannot be lifted in the air above the knee, unless no other players are around or unless it is directed at the goalie (who resembles an ice hockey goalie), in which case it can be lifted to any height. Terri, an ex-goaler herself, explains that the goalie’s equipment is, from head to toe, helmet, neck protector, chest/shoulder pads, gloves (one of which holds the stick, the other is the blocker), girdle (which Terri calls “butt pads”), leg pads, and kickers.
The main difference with field hockey pads is the material — the leg pads, kickers, and gloves are all made of high-density foam. Since the goalie cannot catch or cover the ball (this results in a penalty stroke — like a penalty kick), the ball is cleared out of the circle using what basically amounts to deflections (preferably with the kickers), and the foam gives better rebounds.
“The rules can get pretty complicated,” says Terri, “but the important ones are (1) you can only use one side of the stick, (2) you can’t touch the ball with any part of your body, and (3) you can’t block an opposing player from the ball using your body.”
Jerseys started out as very modest long-sleeved garments. Eventually, they moved on to polos, which were pretty common just a few years ago. “They were horribly hot and uncomfortable,” says Terri. Jerseys are now generally made up of the same material as skirts, but unlike soccer kits, they are getting tighter, because arms and upper body have a lot to do with playing hockey and, as Terri puts it, “a blousy shirt can get in the way.” For this reason, jerseys are almost exclusively sleeveless these days. The material is usually spandex, which can potentially cause problems: “Spandex isn’t very flattering for every woman, athlete or not,” says Terri, “and in my opinion, if you’re not confident in how you look, it affects your play.”
On to the skirts — or as some purists call them, kilts. “When hockey (as it is called everywhere but North America) became an ‘acceptable sport’ for women, it was the first team sport women could play, but it was still not acceptable for women to wear shorts or pants,” says Terri. “So they wore long skirts. As is the case with cheerleading, the skirts stayed, but they kept getting shorter and shorter.”
Until very recently, plaid skirts were the most popular kind. Although old-school kilts are still available, most teams wear skirts made of the high-tech material. Most skirts are no longer the wrap-around kilt style; now, the spandex is built in. In case you’re wondering, Terri says, “No, they were not passed down year to year, ’cuz seriously, who wants to share spandex. Ew.”
In the 1990s there was a brief (but strong) push to switch to shorts. “The big reason was the girls felt like maybe skirts were giving people the wrong idea, and like they were being forced to be girly.” But the switch was short-lived. Why? Terry says, “Suddenly, there was nothing to separate hockey players from soccer players. It felt like the sport’s identity was being lost. My high school reverted back to skirts after (I think) two seasons. Now, most hockey players are proud of their skirts.”
As for the sticks, they were originally made completely of wood and had a long, fairly thin head. The grip was made out of thread. In the past 15 years, however, manufacturers have started reinforcing the wood sticks with fiberglass, carbon, Kevlar and Dyneema. Composite sticks are made from a mold, so every stick of a certain model is the same. There are also different kinds of heads (shortis and midis), used by forwards and mids for better ball control. And then there are goalie sticks, which are used more for deflecting the ball than for hitting it.
Sticks are also becoming more and more bowed — so much so that the NCAA had to institute regulations to limit the amount of bow a stick could have. “Bows in the stick have a number of benefits,” explains Terri, “but the most important are being easier to lift the balls and giving harder drives.” Most players tape their sticks “at the shaft, not the head,” as some feel this softens the stick for when the ball strikes it, providing less rebound and more control. The amount of tape on a stick is also regulated.
Of course, logos now adorn sticks. Since the onset of composites, sticks are available in many colors and designs. “Don’t think for a second that doesn’t matter to a player when she’s are selecting her stick,” says Terri.
Finally, the last pieces of equipment are shin guard and gloves. “Shin guards are fairly minor, but vitally important,” explains Terri. “At the lower levels, they are typically the soft, sock type shin guards, while at the higher levels, harder shin guards are more common.”
Here are some pics of Terri and her teammates. In classic Uni Watch-speak, she says, “No, black is not an official school color, and technically we were supposed to wear red skirts on the road, but we liked this look better.”
Uni Watch News Ticker: Paul here. Let’s begin this holiday-getaway Ticker with something from yesterday’s comments — a really great photo gallery of college football trophies. … Jeremy Brahm reports that the Hiroshima Carp have unveiled their 2009 uniforms and that the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer tourney in South Africa will be using this ball design. Further info here. … Lots of cool stuff in the current Mastro Legends auction, including a Jack Youngblood jersey with double-decker FNOB (big thanks to Jared Wheeler). … Here’s schedule of when the Blackhawks will be wearing their alts (with thanks to James Huening). … Two Aussie-rules football notes from Jeremy Brahm: The Brisbane Lions have announced that they’ll wear their old jerseys in games played in the State of Victoria (Melbourne), and North Melbourne will soon come out with a new clash uniform. … Been meaning to mention that Collateral Gammage and I spent Saturday afternoon at Christie’s, where we checked out the pre-sale viewing of the “Punk/Rock” auction. Amidst all the posters, flyers, photos, zines, and highly progressive apparel, there was one vaguely uni-related item: a poster showing Andy Warhol and Jean Michael Basquiat wearing boxing gear. … Matthew Garrett sent along some great pics of his father’s high school basketball uni, circa 1969, complete with belted shorts, snug-crotch jersey (here’s a slightly closer look), and stirrups. Matthew, who attended the same high school as his dad, reports that he wore these same stirrups as part of his uniform during his senior year. … HNOB alert (thanks, Phil). … Also from Phil: major footwear graffiti by UNC’s Rashanda McCants. … Nice little video clip here showing hand-painted bubble hockey players (excellent find by Jeremy Brahm).
Holiday Schedule: I’ll open the floor to your jibber-jabbering tomorrow, and probably Friday too, and Phil will handle the weekend as usual. Safe travel to those who are on the move today and tonight, remember not to let Mom do all the kitchen work tomorrow while you sit on the couch and watch football (after all, it’s just the Lions).
#1 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 8:35 am |
When did Chris Osgood starting playing field hockey? :)
http://z.about.com/d...
#2 by Peter Wunsch on 11.26.08 8:37 am |
I understand why polo, the game played on a horse, requires that all players be right-handed, but why field hockey?
#3 by Juan Grande on 11.26.08 8:37 am |
http://d.yimg.com/us...
Rashanda McCants seems to have trouble spelling “intensity”.
#4 by Mike Engle on 11.26.08 8:45 am |
Mr Lukas, you forgot to tell us white meat’s for suckers. :-)
#5 by WSC on 11.26.08 8:49 am |
That way they only had to make one stick…..hehe, no idea.
By the way, those lovely young gals are very attractive in their field hockey gear. I have known a few players and don\’t let the looks deceive you…they could kick your ass. :)
#6 by JTH on 11.26.08 9:12 am |
Obviously the game was invented by Catholic schoolteacher nuns.
- Matthew Garrett: photographing that uniform on hardwood was a nice touch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something about today’s post seems oddly familiar…
#7 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 9:14 am |
Are there penalties? I imagine slashing comes into play everynow and then…
#8 by Terri on 11.26.08 9:19 am |
Ok,this is hard to explain, but there is a reason. Say you’re going down the right side of the field with the ball. The stick would be on your right. When a defender comes up to you, their stick would be on their right- but it’s your left, msking it harder for them to get to the ball (you’re on the right side, so nobody’s gonna come up from your right, which is out-of-bounds.) Because of this, the right side of the field is the strong side. If someone had a left handed stick, their stick would be on their left, and your right- the same side as your stick, wiping out the strong side advantage, and giving the lefty easier access to your stick and the ball.
#9 by LI Phil on 11.26.08 9:19 am |
i put in a ‘call’ to terri, as she actually plays this game, and can hopefully answer all your questions, but to answer the “penalty” one:
hope this helps
#10 by Jeff on 11.26.08 9:22 am |
In typical Maple Leaf fashion, they completely screwed up Wendel Clark’s jersey ceremony. First, they scheduled on the same night when Patrick Roy, a legend, is being honoured in Montreal. And 2nd, why on earth did they put his image on a banner in a jersey that he NEVER wore?
http://farm4.static....
#11 by KF on 11.26.08 9:23 am |
It is not recommended you eat anything while the Lions are playing…just a reminder. :-(
Here is a moderately humorous list of reasons while the Lions should keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive, naturally, the throwback uniform is a highlight among 50 years of lowlights.
http://www.associate...
#12 by Geeman on 11.26.08 9:24 am |
No list of college football trophies is complete without reference to the Old Mountain Jug. The jug is gold, the color shared by both schools, and symbolizes the moonshine of the mountain regions the schools serve. The logos of each school are placed on the sides.
http://en.wikipedia....
In 1983, Western Carolina finished No. 2 in the nation in I-AA, and it once had numerous players in the NFL, but the program has come on hard times. However, the Appalachian State program is dominant, the winnter of the last three national I-AA championships.
Little known unrelated fact: The first 3-point field goal in NCAA basketball history was made by a Western Carolina player, Ronnie Carr, in 1979.
#13 by al on 11.26.08 9:24 am |
what about an explanation of the field hockey goggles?
#14 by Mark K on 11.26.08 9:25 am |
Can someone explain why the nets always have that wood board at the bottom?
#15 by Terri on 11.26.08 9:27 am |
Penalties as in go in the box for 2 min.? No, you get a free hit (think free kick, but 10x more common). And slashing is called hacking.
#16 by WSC on 11.26.08 9:30 am |
That actually makes perfect sense, thanks Terri.
#17 by WSC on 11.26.08 9:31 am |
Are there ever brawls on the field? Fists flying and gloves off? :)
#18 by Terri on 11.26.08 9:34 am |
I never heard anything about wearing goggles; I’ve been out of the sport for over a year, so maybe it’s something. But frankly, I think it’s a little ridiculous. In 10 yrs, I never saw a serious eye injury; I think it’s just an overreaction by people who want to wrap their kids in bubble wrap so they never get a bump or a bruise.
#19 by JTH on 11.26.08 9:35 am |
Isn’t that one of the 75th anniversary throwbacks? He was captain during that season, so he would have worn it a handful of times.
But of course, the current players all wore replicas of the regular Leafs home jersey he wore during his stint as team captain…
#20 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 9:35 am |
Thank Phil and Terri!
#21 by Mike Engle on 11.26.08 9:37 am |
Am I really beating Matt Powers and Mark Mihalik to this?
http://img.fannation...
LeBron’s “Big Apple” shoes.
#22 by Terri on 11.26.08 9:38 am |
Haha, that would be awesome! One of my teammates did turn around and slug a girl who wouldn’t stop putting her stick in her back- it was pretty funny til the red card came. Other than that, mostly there’s just shoving and hitting people with sticks when the ref isn’t looking.
#23 by JTH on 11.26.08 9:38 am |
Didn’t Paul do a post on the subject of field hockey goggles like waaaayyy back in the first month or two of this blog? Maybe that was lacrosse goggles.
#24 by Mike Engle on 11.26.08 9:39 am |
Retry
http://sportsillustr...
#25 by Mike Engle on 11.26.08 9:44 am |
Third time’s a charm
shoes
#26 by Greg V. on 11.26.08 9:45 am |
What is the field hockey ball made of? If it is anything like a lacrosse ball, this looks like a painful sport. The goalie in this picture looks succeptible to a busted kneecap.
http://z.about.com/d...
And the ball is supposed to stay below knee level. How often does a player get hit in the chest or head with an out of control pass/shot?
#27 by Josh on 11.26.08 9:50 am |
Greg, I had an ex who played. I think it’s wood. I’m an ice/roller hockey goalie. For fun, I offered to suit up and play net during my HS team’s field hockey practice… The strangest part was having that foam block to deflect instead of a catching glove.
#28 by Terri on 11.26.08 9:54 am |
The ball is made of very hard plastic- it’s harder and bigger than a lax ball. And yeah, that move results in a lot of bruised knees.
As for out of control balls, getting hit up high doesn’t happen very often, simply because hockies get very good at ducking. The real danger is from sticks- like when a player goes in to poke the ball away as the other player swings to hit it. Ever seen a mouth after it gets smashed by a stick? Not pretty.
#29 by Dave on 11.26.08 9:56 am |
Sounders FC have had their blue jersey leaked…
http://gosounders.co...
They were supposed to be revealed at a Dec 4th Fashion Show.
#30 by Oscar on 11.26.08 9:56 am |
OK, let’s see . . . Titans at Lions in the early game, Seahawks at Cowboys in the afternoon, and then Texas and Texas A&M at night (Longhorns are favored by about 35). Has there ever been a bigger collection of bad games ever assembled for Thanksgiving?
#31 by Tim on 11.26.08 10:00 am |
Cardinals at Eagles at night (for those of you with the NFL Network)……
#32 by Duck on 11.26.08 10:00 am |
This makes zero sense to me. Compound that with what you said about not being able to use your body to defend and it just sounds like the powers that be of field hockey don’t wnat any defense being palyed outside of the goalie, which is weird to say the least. I’ll just chalk it up to tradition. I guess a lot of sports have strange traditional rules when I think about it. Like the National League making pitchers hit(no sarcasm tags here). And ever try to explain holding or pass interference to a person that didn’t grow up watching football. Btw, I love the skirts, all sexiness aside, which it is, it definitly gives the sport its own identity, I’m for it.
#33 by Scott on 11.26.08 10:01 am |
In response to a couple of comments:
- School districts are mandating that players wear goggles with increasing frequency, even though the US Field Hockey Association opposes it. For instance, the Catholic school athletic conference in the Washington DC, area already mandates their use. My understanding is that the design of lacrosse-style goggles significantly reduces a player’s field of vision when they look down. Which of course field hockey players do the vast majority of the time, hence increasing a player’s risk of injury from an unseen hazard.
- Hacking (high sticking) occurs less and less as the skill level of the players improves, because experienced players are taught to keep their sticks down near parallel to the ground when playing defense. It’s the high school JV players just learning the sport who tend to hack away at the ball, and where play is the most dangerous, in my experience.
- Another weird thing besides the crowd confusion that sometimes occurs when a goalie steps aside to let a ball hit from outside the circle go into the goal, is the carding system officials use to penalize players. In addition to yellow & red cards, there’s a triangular green “warning” card that officials give short of issuing a yellow card.
#34 by mike 2 on 11.26.08 10:03 am |
That sure looks like the 1991-1992 throwback on the banner, although it looks like they erased the “75″ crest from the right shoulder.
Wendel would have worn both the 1980s and the 1990s uniforms as captain (he was captain until 1994)
#35 by Teebz on 11.26.08 10:04 am |
It’s a night to honour Wendel Clark in Toronto. Who cares about Patrick Roy outside of Montreal? If you’re from Toronto, Clark is still a legend. And to be honest, Clark’s ceremony was far more real considering the history in which Roy left the Canadiens.
Clark wore the old-style Leafs jersey during the 1991-92 season for the 75th anniversary of the NHL. All the Original Six teams wore throwbacks that season when they played each other. As JTH pointed out, he captained that squad. Also note there there are no sleeve numbers on those jerseys. :o)
#36 by Teebz on 11.26.08 10:05 am |
Here’s a simple explanation, Duck. 90% of the world is right-handed. :o)
#37 by JimH on 11.26.08 10:13 am |
Thanks Paul.
I did not know anything about field hockey uniforms. Very interesting.
#38 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 10:16 am |
Agreed, Clark is a legend in TOR. Having his game on the same day as Roy’s is no big deal. I believe if MON didn’t have the 100 year celebration they wouldn’t have retired his number until much later (given his conduct off the ice and the way he left)
Clark is one of TOR’s biggest legends. Just like Orr to BOS, Yzerman to DET, Clarke to PHI etc. He may not have the stats as some other legends, but to TOR, he’s top notch.
#39 by LI Phil on 11.26.08 10:16 am |
when i was researching (read: looking at photos) this article, i found a number of shots where i would imagine injury might ensue…maybe it’s because they’re stills, but i would think
this might leave some marks
(note the goggles in the last pic)
#40 by Teebz on 11.26.08 10:18 am |
Terri and Phil, fabulous topic today.
I had done a pile of research on the sport before the Beijing Olympics for my own use, and it is truly one of the most-demanding sports in terms of skill and athleticism.
Yes, the rules seem complicated, but the game is fast-paced and up-tempo.
Thanks for the great piece today, lady and gent.
#41 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 10:19 am |
Why is the ‘blade’ of the stick shaped like a U and not like a hockey stick blade? Better ball control?
#42 by Terri on 11.26.08 10:22 am |
Yep.
#43 by Paul Lukas on 11.26.08 10:23 am |
It was lacrosse:
http://www.uniwatchb...
#44 by Cory D. on 11.26.08 10:28 am |
Not sure if anyone caught a screen grab last night, but Nate Davis, of Ball State, was shown towards then end of the game wearing a helmet with the #2 on it, instead of his usual 13.
#45 by Teebz on 11.26.08 10:30 am |
No backhands. You have to flip the stick over to dribble the ball up the field.
Traditionally, the blade was longer, but it was shortened and the curve made tighter in the 1950s for better ball control.
The dribbling technique used is the standard now used by all field hockey players today. It was introduced to the world in the 1950s by the Indian and Pakistani squads, and led to their domination in the sport until the early 1980s.
This new style of dribbling led the men from India to win six Olympic straight gold medals from 1928 to 1960. Pakistan won in 1960, but India regained its dominance in 1964 and won again in 1980.
#46 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 10:33 am |
Little NHL picture help:
Joe Kocur played 7 NHL games with VAN in 1995-1996 season after getting traded from NYR in march. For the life of me I cannot find a pic of him in a VAN uni.
Anyone? Teebz?
#47 by Rick on 11.26.08 10:35 am |
Anyone else notice that the graffiti shoe has intensity spelled wrong?
#48 by Duck on 11.26.08 10:38 am |
Sounds like they’re just giving a big middle finger to lefties.
#49 by Like the River on 11.26.08 10:41 am |
Wes Hodges from the Indians has been playing the the arizona fall league, looks like he has masking tape and something wrote on the under bill of his batting helmet
http://cleveland.ind...
#50 by mike on 11.26.08 10:43 am |
Actually, the announcement of the date for the Clark ceremony came back in late June or early July, while Roy’s ceremony date wasn’t announced until September. If you’re gonna rip Leaf management, and lord knows many of us love to, rip them for something they actually screwed up, and not for something they had no control over.
#51 by Robert in Dallas on 11.26.08 10:45 am |
Excellent entry. Prior to today, my knowledge of field hockey was limited to seeing the injury suffered by one of the CITs at the hands of evil Camp Mohawk in “Stripes.”
#52 by Oscar on 11.26.08 10:49 am |
Which isn’t that many, although slightly more than it used to be. The NFLN subscriber list may actually be over 9,000 by now.
#53 by Teebz on 11.26.08 10:50 am |
Not quite. Since the majority of the world is right-handed, and you can only play the ball with one side of the stick, you can’t have it both ways. Otherwise, there’s no reason to only have one side of the stick flat.
#54 by Andy--01 on 11.26.08 10:52 am |
Here is some Logo Creep I can really get “behind”
A CHESTER lap dancing club has come with “a cheeky” idea for how struggling companies can defy the credit crunch.
The dancers will have the 15cm by 10m adverts applied to their bottoms using a stencil and body paints.
How long until Nike opens their first Strip Club, or Scores is sponsored by Adidas?
#55 by Teebz on 11.26.08 10:52 am |
I’ve never seen a picture of him in a Canucks uniform, but I do know he wore #28. I’ll poke around and see what I can find, Jim. However, this might be one of the pictures that got away.
#56 by LI Phil on 11.26.08 10:53 am |
or…they’re just giving the middle finger to lefties
#57 by Lwiedy on 11.26.08 10:55 am |
What else is new. Scissors, coffee mugs, baseball in general. At some point (maybe in 2019 when baseball turns 150) they’ll flip the bases around and we will rule! Give us 150 years and then the righties can have it back.
#58 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 10:55 am |
I know, I’ve been trying to find one for a while. In his 7 games he has 19 PIMs. So I imagine he got in a fight or two…. or three. Can’t imagine there not being at least a pic of him fighting.
#59 by Teebz on 11.26.08 11:07 am |
I’ve emailed the Vancouver newspapers to see what info they can provide. I’ll let you know what I get back from them, Jim. :o)
#60 by Teebz on 11.26.08 11:08 am |
Lefties have rights too, Phil. LOL
#61 by Robert in Dallas on 11.26.08 11:08 am |
As a fan of that, uh, sport, I am as opposed to logo creep on these “uniforms” as I am on those worn by baseball and football players. I do not want my attention to the activities on the field/pole/whatever to be interrupted by corporate logos.
#62 by JTH on 11.26.08 11:10 am |
TEN METERS! Is there something wrong with the water supply in Chester?
#63 by ScottyJ in WV on 11.26.08 11:10 am |
What else is new…..
#64 by Namhob on 11.26.08 11:12 am |
This is as good as my investigative skills can do…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n337tHPzGA4
#65 by John T on 11.26.08 11:13 am |
No, I did (lucky this time…)
http://www.uniwatchb...
#66 by Namhob on 11.26.08 11:14 am |
#67 by LI Phil on 11.26.08 11:15 am |
im guessing the UW world may be disproportionately represented by the sinister hand…paul, scotty, duck, larry…
who else amongst us is ‘lefty’?
#68 by MPowers1634 on 11.26.08 11:15 am |
Alright, alright…enjoy it for the time being!
#69 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 11:16 am |
Thanks! That was my next step of action, emailing to see if Vancouver newspapers had any archives I could look through.
#70 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 11:18 am |
Thank you, that is the first time I’ve seen Kocur in a VAN uni period. Pic or Movie.
#71 by Duck on 11.26.08 11:18 am |
Oh, I’m no lefty. I just al for equal rights. Bad pun?
#72 by Duck on 11.26.08 11:18 am |
all*
#73 by Jim MI on 11.26.08 11:19 am |
Only in hockey, batting (throw righty), and golf…
#74 by MPowers1634 on 11.26.08 11:21 am |
That’s a’ight…If you ever take a look at LDT’s tattoos, I believe his mothers’ name is spelled wrong on his arm.
#75 by Teebz on 11.26.08 11:26 am |
Vancouver in their fade-to-black alternate, and the Kings in their Burger King alternate. WOW!
#76 by JTH on 11.26.08 11:30 am |
Huh. I’m a hockey lefty, but I bat and play golf right-handed.
I only figured out that I’m better at hockey as a left-hander because I had broken all of my sticks and had to use one of my brother’s one time.
I’ve tried golfing lefty and it was awkward as hell. I bat lefty now and again and I’m reasonably competent, but not particularly comfortable with it.
#77 by Teebz on 11.26.08 11:32 am |
Your handedness in hockey should be opposite of your strong suit.
For example, I’m a righty, but I shoot left in hockey. The reason? Your strong hand should be at the top of your stick for defensive purposes and stick-control.
I’m not saying it works for everyone, but that’s how it’s supposed to be. ;o)
#78 by Justin B. on 11.26.08 11:38 am |
Looking through the Life stuff on Google I came across this great photo: http://images.google...
#79 by MPowers1634 on 11.26.08 11:42 am |
I’ve considered playing golf lefty…after every shot that I hit righty!
Conceivably, I couldn’t get much worse.
On a serious note, I”ve always played alot of basketball. Summer of my junior year I screwed up my right wrist REAL BAD, inconvenient on SO many levels.
I needed to play ball though, so I taught myself to shoot pretty well lefty.
Fast forward 15 years to Monday night…the first shot that I took and made in my rec league game was a lefty jumper at the top of the key. Second shot was a righty jumper foul line extended.
What’s cool is that it comes naturally now, no pre-meditation.
#80 by Philly William on 11.26.08 11:44 am |
I’m a swinging lefty (golf, hockey, baseball, lacrosse) and I threw lefty as a kid (due to my first glove being a hand-me-down from my lefty dad) but switched so I could play catcher in Little League (the team only had righty mitts). I write righty, but do a lot of everyday things with either (eating, texting and such).
Is it legal to flip the stick and play upside down and lefty? The way the stick curves, it seems like it wouldn’t be too much of a disadvantage and you could still get a lot of surface area on the ball. Has there ever been a legal challenge to the rule? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the world needs another frivolous law suit, by I’m curious to see if this falls in to the realm of equal rights as defined by law. It’s not like people choose to be left handed, and I know there have been lawsuits against teachers who forced children to change their writing hand.
#81 by Johnny O on 11.26.08 11:49 am |
This past summer at the golf course I am an assistant pro at, a guy got very upset because we were out of left-handed golf gloves. (Gloves you wear on your right hand for golf)
He proceeded to ask me why we don’t keep our stock up, and I simply replied we don’t get a big request for left handed gloves because 90% of people are right handed. He then got really pissed and claimed that 40% of people were left handed, and I strongly disagreed with him, but had no real proof to tell him aside from just the common knowledge that I knew that stat. That southpaw was very angry that. Needless to say I ordered some lefty gloves that afternoon.
#82 by JTH on 11.26.08 11:49 am |
#83 by LarenR on 11.26.08 11:51 am |
Looks like there will be no hockey (or polo) players in my house. I’m lefty, so’s my wife, and the three year old is pretty ambidextrous (which is developmentally appropriate), but starting to show proper lefty tendencies.
Incidentally, lefties rule: four of the last five presidents (including the President Elect) are lefties (Obama, Clinton, GHW Bush, and–I’m pretty sure–Reagan); while we make up about 10% of the population, we are over-represented at top universities, where lefties make up closer to 20% of the faculty and student body; and, of course, since the right brain control